Monday, February 14, 2011

Assange To Appear On ABC 1 Program Four Corners Monday

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was interviewed by Quentin McDermott in England last month for ABC 1's Four Corners program. It is scheduled to air Monday night.

In the interview Assange talks about wanting to return to Australia, his bail conditions and much more.
Assange accuses the Australian Federal Government of working against him and said:

"I'm referring to statements by the Attorney-General that a whole-of-government taskforce had been set up to investigate us that included ASIS, it included ASIO, it included the AFP, it included the Department of Defence and some parts of Cabinet. It's an extraordinary thing."

"It included the Attorney-General stating that I could not from the safety of my office publish this material and that the Australian Government and his office would assist any government anywhere in the world to prosecute me."

"Statements that my passport would perhaps be cancelled, and would only not be cancelled if it was of assistance to help track me. That is, I mean it is obscene for an Australian attorney-general to behave that way."

"And there are statements by the Prime Minister that our activities were illegal, made outside of Parliament and - as was determined in short order by both the Defence Department and the Australian Federal Police - no Australian laws had been violated in our publication."

Assange said he left Australia because his intelligence sources felt that the Australian Government would not adequately protect him from the United States.

Assange also said that "at that time Australia was not a safe place for me. Otherwise I would be there now". He also said that the situation has changed as a result of the "will of the Australian people and the pressure by our supporters".

Assange goes on to say that his bail conditions make life "extremely difficult", and:

"It means I cannot go to our various people around the world or various groups that might support us."

"I am stuck here in Norfolk under a form of high-tech house arrest. Now it means that it's a lot easier to surveil me or any person I may come in contact with."

"Communications are much more difficult because we have a permanent location that can be easily surveilled. So it's quite annoying."

Assange has been at a friends home in London under house since his December and is now waiting for the verdict in his extradition hearing, which should be Feb 24. The Swedish police have not charged Assange with anything, but want him extradited to face questions about accusations of rape and sexual molestation made against him by Sofia Wilen and Anna Ardin, which he denies.